On Monday, September 13, D23 is inviting its members and their guests in the San Diego area to join the voice of Belle herself, Paige O’Hara, for a private tour of the new Imagination Park Disney Store model at the Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego to be followed by a mid-morning tea party.

Available for the purchase at the event will be the new limited edition Beauty and the Beast gold-trimmed Mrs. Potts teapot set ($124.50) which has a run of 1600 pieces worldwide.

As expected, Apple today announced that television programs in HD format will now be available for rent through iTunes 10, which is now available for download. Apple promises thousands of episodes, many of which will be available the day after broadcast. The Disney/ABC Television Group is well represented in the initial offering, with shows from ABC, ABC Family and Disney Channel joining shows from Fox and BBC America.

Each episode rental costs $.99 and can be viewed on Mac, PC, iPhone, iPod Touch and Apple TV. You’ll have thirty days from rental to begin watching the episode and 48 hours from that point to complete watching it before the rental period expires.

“Handy Manny,” the Emmy-nominated Playhouse Disney series that celebrates Hispanic culture and language through its loveable handyman, moves into primetime with an all new special, “Handy Manny Big Construction Job,” premiering during Hispanic Heritage Month, MONDAY, OCTOBER 11 (7:00-7:55 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel. In the fun-filled event for preschoolers and their families, Manny (played by Wilmer Valderrama) and the tools leave Sheet Rock Hills to work on a big out-of-town construction job where they meet new tool friends, Jack the jackhammer and Spinner the power drill.

The Disney Parks official blog has posted concept art and a brief description of the goings-on at the ‘ElecTRONica’ nighttime entertainment spectacle at Disney California adventure as first revealed here on Stitch Kingdom.

Set to take place Friday – Sunday nights beginning October 8, the spectacular transforms the Hollywood Backlot area to TRON city (with a touch of the parallel real world). The event will also take place nightly during Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks.

This post has officially been dumbed down due to massive complaints about the direction of it previously, so here it is short and sweet.

Strong rumors indicate that early next year, in either January or February, KJS will be closing for an extensive refurbishment and when it re-opens, it may very well contain no remnants of the storyline it once held.

Currently, guests are set to embark on a two week safari through the savanna aboard SIMBA-1, only to have their trip cut short when other touring vehicles come across signs of poachers.

Between now and December 31, 2010, D23 members and up to 5 guests will receive a 15% discount off meals (excluding alcohol, taxes and gratuities) when they dine at the House of Blues at Walt Disney World’s Downtown Disney district when they present their D23 membership card to the server.

House of Blues was founded in 1992 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has grown to more than a dozen eateries across the United States. Along with their sumptuous cuisine, House of Blues has played host to some of the biggest names in the recording industry in their Music Hall venues, and their infamous Gospel Brunch has become an institution with inspiring music and a bountiful buffet.

Tails were wagging at Walt Disney World Resort today when Best Friends Pet Care opened the doors to its new, luxury pet resort. Dennis Dolan, CEO of Best Friends Pet Care, and Phil Bernard, vice president of Walt Disney World Operating Participants, were joined by Mickey Mouse’s favorite dog Pluto to welcome the first guests.

The one-of-a-kind pet resort offers 17,000 square feet of air-conditioned indoor space, 10,000 square feet of covered outdoor runs and play areas, and a 25,000-square-foot dog park exclusively for the use of Best Friends clients and their pets.